David E. Kelley

Arguably one of the most prolific writer-producers in small screen history, former attorney David E. Kelley created some of television's quirkiest and unconventional shows, particularly in the normall...
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Fascinating fact:

By:
WENN.com
Jan 13, 2015

Producer/writer David E. Kelley has been tapped to adapt Stephen King's detective novel Mr. Mercedes for the small screen.

Actresses Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon's adaptation of Big Little Lies is to hit the small screen after the two actresses initially optioned it for the cinema. The Oscar winners acquired the rights to Australian author Liane Moriarty's book of the same name in August (14) and planned to make a feature film, but the project will now be heading to TV.
The limited series will be penned by Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley and will centre on three murderous kindergarten mothers.
Kidman, Witherspoon and Kelley will executive produce the project, while Moriarty will serve as a producer.

Robin Williams' longtime publicist has dismissed reports suggesting money worries may have led to the actor's apparent suicide. The beloved Oscar winner as found hanged at his home in Marin County, California on Monday (11Aug14), and speculation has been swirling surrounding his reasons for taking his life ever since.
But now Williams' publicist Mara Buxbaum, who revealed her friend and client was suffering from depression at the time of his death, has shot rumours about financial woes, telling TheWrap.com, "Robin had no financial problems. We should be blessed to have Robin's financial status."
Much of the speculation stemmed from an interview Williams did with Parade magazine last year (13), in which he discussed his decision to return to television to star The Crazy Ones, saying, "The idea of having a steady job is appealing. I have two other choices: go on the road doing stand-up, or do small, independent movies working almost for scale (minimum union pay)... There are bills to pay."
According to Buxbaum, Williams often said things "in jest" which "don't translate in print", insisting that the comedian took on the TV gig because of show creator David E. Kelley and the material, not to earn more money.
She continues, "I understand the desire to understand the 'Why'. It's not going to happen. The better thing to do is to try to understand severe depression. That isn't going to be answered, and you can speculate all you want."
Williams' net worth was an estimated $50 million (£30 million), according to Forbes magazine.

Late night TV icon Jay Leno and comedy actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus were inducted into the TV Hall of Fame at an intimate Hollywood ceremony on Tuesday (11Mar14). Network executives, studio bosses and Hollywood stars filled the audience at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel for the 23rd Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame ceremony.
Seinfeld star Louis-Dreyfus, who is the only actress to win Emmy awards for three separate shows, was presented with her honour by Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler, and said in her acceptance speech, "My high school physics teacher always said: 'Have fun at all costs'."
Leno, who was replaced in his long-standing role as host of The Tonight Show by Jimmy Fallon last month (Feb14), joked as he accepted his award, "Ahhh, a Hall of Fame ceremony that doesn't involve a drug test."
Fox Broadcasting Company supremo Rupert Murdoch, ABC network executive Brandon Stoddard, writer-producer David E. Kelley, and audio-engineer Ray Dolby, who was honoured posthumously, were also inducted at the ceremony for their contributions in the field of television.

FOX Broadcasting Co.
The general consensus on The Crazy Ones is that the show is all right. It's okay. It's not bad. The issue with those statements is that the show — created by David E. Kelley and starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar — has the components to be more than that. Robin Williams! Buffy! The guy who created Ally McBeal and Picket Fences! Having a group that talented working on a project should equal more than a collective shoulder shrug from the viewing audience. Basically, the outtakes that run over the end credits shouldn't be the funniest part of the show.
Luckily, the show is only halfway through its first season so there's still time for it to grow and realize its unfulfilled potential. The key for all involved is to get a little crazier. By embracing the cray-cray, Kelley could have something special instead of something merely pleasant.
Set Robin Free
Williams' character in the show, advertising executive Simon Roberts, is supposed to be a little bit like the real-life older and wiser actor. But there's no reason that Simon has to adhere that closely to the Williams of recent years' responsible lifestyle. Williams is at his best when he's manic, not when he's reserved. Simon needs to be put in situations where Williams can be unleashed and bounce around. Neither Kelley nor Williams have to sacrifice the gravitas entirely… the show just needs more Good Morning, Vietnam, and less Patch Adams.
Buffy Meets Ally
Gellar as Simon's daughter Sydney is your run-of-the-mill stick in the mud. She's boring, and that's boring to watch. Kelley needs look no further than his own creative background to find the answer. The show might need Gellar to play the straight arrow center but that doesn't mean that she has to be dull. Spike in a little of Ally McBeal's whimsy and see what happens. Having her become obsessed with a video game was a good start, but there needs to be more of that. After all, she's supposed to be Robin Williams' daughter… how stiff could she possibly be?
Bring in New Playmates
It genuinely seems like Williams likes his young cast mates. It also seems like he's stuck being the old man and that's not fun. While it's not perfect, Williams perks up when Brad Garrett shows up occasionally as his business partner. Now, Williams needs a friend or two at his own level to come play with him. Having Pam Dawber, the former Mindy to Williams' Mork, guest star is cute, but she's not really a comedy equal. Bobcat Goldthwait, Christine Baranski, Nathan Lane, Martin Short, Bill Irwin, Bonnie Hunt… there are a number of former costars or friends that could pop in and provide a spark for Williams. (Just as long as none of them are named Billy Crystal.)
Lose the Romance, Increase the Bromance
The show's supporting players — Hamish Linklater, James Wolk, and Amanda Setton — have proven to be more than capable, but the romantic subplots bog things down. Linklater's Andrew has a crush on Sydney. Wolk's Zach and Setton's Lauren are friends with benefits. None of it really works. If there are to be love interests, let them come from outside of the ensemble, but it needs to stop hindering workplace comedy. What does work, however, is the byplay between Linklater and Wolk, especially when Williams is involved. Whether he's working with them or playing them against each other, Williams' appears to have the most fun when he plays scenes with the two young guys. If storylines that pair Williams with his male counterparts helps him unleash his id, do more of it. After all, when it comes to The Crazy Ones, the crazier the better.
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20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
David E. Kelley has created some amazing television series, including Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal. He’s also married to the utterly stunning Michelle Pfeiffer. But before all of that, one of his early series was Picket Fences. This ensemble drama focused on a small town and included a legal component and how small crime cases affected the entire population.
Sherriff Jimmy Brock (Tom Skerritt) has to police the small town of Rome, Wisconsin. His wife Dr. Jill Brock (Kathy Baker) is the town doctor. They have two sons and a pensive teen daughter, Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs). He manages a precinct with sexy deputies Maxine Stewart (Lauren Holly) and Kenny Lacos (Costas Mandylor). Each episode, an unusual crime or legal issue will culminate in a court case presided over by Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston) and defense attorney Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel).
The series has a similar irreverence to Ally McBeal. The town features unique characters including the nosy 911 operator Ginny Weedon (Zelda Rubinstein) and the slightly creepy coroner Carter Pike (Kelly Connell). It also focuses on the legality of bizarre court cases including an assailant that likes to take baths in people’s homes, a case of spontaneous human combustion, and the legality of euthanasia.
The series has something for everyone. Each episode has equal parts family drama, the romantic interplay of the two sexy deputies, the procedural crime drama of the case of the episode, and the legal tension of court proceedings. There is also a ton of humor in the exchanges between Walston and Finkel. It also explores morality without being overly preachy. It doesn’t push an agenda but rather explores all sides of the issue.
Picket Fences offers a refreshing look back at a family drama that has a happy family. The Brock family is a united family unit dealing with the social issues, bizarre crimes, and dramatic tension of their offbeat small town. Despite the lack of internet and cell phones, the series does have some pretty relevant subject matter that holds up .
The series won multiple Emmy Awards both for the series and for leads Skerritt, Baker, Finkel, Walston, and Leigh Taylor-Young. It also featured notable appearances by James Earl Jones and Marlee Matlin.
This series makes great binge watching material, and the first two seasons are available for free on Hulu.
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Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus is set to be inducted into The Television Academy Hall of Fame. The Seinfeld star, who scored a Golden Globes nomination last week (ends13Dec13) for her role in TV comedy Veep, will be feted on 11 March, 2014 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in California, alongside writer/producer David E. Kelley, U.S. late night host Jay Leno, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, ABC Network executive Brandon Stoddard and American sound pioneer Ray Dolby, who will be inducted posthumously.
Bruce Rosenblum, The Television Academy's Chairman and CEO, says, "The six individuals being inducted into the Hall of Fame have all made a profound impact on the landscape of television, leaving their own mark within our industry and with audiences around the world.
"Their groundbreaking contributions will last for generations, making them true icons who could not be more deserving of the Television Academy's highest honour."
Past inductees include Ron Howard, Candice Bergen and William Shatner.

DC Comics via andertoons/Flickr
New Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara discussed a number of projects recently, including the new J.K. Rowling project and a desire to balance big budget franchise films with smaller, more modest features. But one moment that stood out was when talk turned to superheroes. Tsujihara spoke hopefully about moving beyond Batman and Superman, namechecking Wonder Woman. "We need to get Wonder Woman on the big screen or TV," he said. Sure, it's a great sentiment. But heroes like Green Arrow and police commissioner Jim Gordon are already heading to TV, even though Wonder Woman is inarguably a bigger name. So if they have the rights, the money, and the desire, what the heck is Warner Bros. waiting for?
When it comes to the superhero arms race, DC hasn't had a win since The Dark Knight came out in 2008. Testing an unknown character? Marvel wins by a landslide with the improbable rise of Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man. Recasting a hero? Marvel wins, with the (eventual) discovery of Mark Ruffalo as Hulk. A team movie with multiple heroes? Marvel's winning by two, with Avengers and Gaurdians of the Galaxy. So far, neither studio has been declared the "winner" when it comes to female heroes. But at least Marvel has Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. At least Natalie Portman is pairing with Marvel to sponsor a contest to get girls more interested in science. What has DC/WB given us? Two solid attempts at making Catwoman a supporting character and one miserable attempt to give Catwoman her own film in 2004.
The saying goes, if you want something done well, you have to do it yourself. You know what — sometimes, if you want something done at all, you have to do it yourself. Sure, you can say, "The David E. Kelley Wonder Woman pilot was terrible. That's why it wasn't picked up!" But Green Lantern was an underbaked disaster, and you at least gave it the chance to try. (By the way, if earning over $200 million in box office for you is considered a failure, you may want to reexamine your average budget.) Don't outsource the task of adapting a uniquely inspiring and rewarding character to the big screen when you have an entire movie studio — and one that's been struggling for new content in the wake of Christopher Nolan — at your disposal. Not to mention the very same TV studio that produced the original Wonder Woman series! The one that wasn't half bad, and gave Wonder Woman the super-progressive-for-the-'70s cover as an Air Force pilot. Beyond that, there has been a steady stream of DC Animated Universe content featuring Wonder Woman that proves that the character can fly off the page just as easily as Superman. Actually, maybe that's a bad example, as both bigscreen Superman adaptations from the last 10 years were met with decidedly mixed reviews. Regardless, with all this talk around women, comics, superheroes, and franchises, it would be nice to see some action.
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CBS
Given the astronomical ratings of The Big Bang Theory, currently the most-watched scripted show on television, CBS could get decent ratings for the rest of Thursday night if they just ran a loop of old aspirin commercials from the 1950s. Y'know, the ones with the little animated jackhammers attacking a cartoon x-ray of the pounding skull of a man in a gray flannel suit.
Actually, now that I say that, that would be awesome. They should totally do that.
Sadly, it would be more entertaining than either of the new sitcoms CBS has currently scheduled for Thursday nights between The Big Bang Theory and the increasingly irrelevant Two and a Half Men. Both The Crazy Ones and The Millers have excellent casts and high-powered off-screen talent, and yet both are seriously hampered by terrible scripts and inconsistent characterization.
Look At Me, I'm Wonderful!
The Crazy Ones is a bizarrely self-indulgent trifle from David E. Kelley, who indulges all of his most irritatingly whimsical mannerisms on this tale of an aging Chicago ad executive. Speaking of whimsical mannerisms, Robin Williams returns to television for the first time in over thirty years as creative genius Simon Roberts, caught in a strange no-man's-land between the cocaine-fueled anarchy of his old stand-up persona and the icky sentimentality of his "serious" film roles. Sarah Michelle Gellar has the thankless role of his daughter and creative partner Sydney, an underwritten part that's supposed to serve as the buffer between Williams' antic riffing and the audience. But since she spends most of her screen time being exasperated by her dad's schtick, the audience also finds his tics obnoxious and tiring.
The genuinely talented Hamish Linklater is utterly wasted as the agency's art director; his sole memorable character trait is that he talks at the same time as Sydney, making both of them unintelligible, which I suspect we're supposed to find endearing and make us want the characters to hook up or something. James Wolk, last season's Mad Men breakout, plays a smarmy charmer who makes Bob Benson look the soul of office discretion. But by far the most annoying is Amanda Setton as Sydney's assistant. She's a likeable actor, whom you may remember from the early episodes of The Mindy Project, where she gamely did the best she could as the generic Jersey-girl receptionist before she was written out of the show. But her key scene in the pilot, where she offered to let Simon smell her hair because "the scent of a young woman's shampoo" is supposed to reinvigorate an older man, was Kelley at his creepy, patronizing worst. I mean, it was just really icky.
Congratulations, Dads, You're No Longer 2013's Worst Sitcom
Still, as annoying as it is, The Crazy Ones is still at least slightly better than The Millers. Creator and executive producer Greg Garcia is in danger of losing all the goodwill he got as the creator of My Name Is Earl and the genially charming Raising Hope with this formulaic tripe. With Will Arnett, Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges in the leads, the show has an immensely talented cast. But the by-the-numbers plot (local news reporter Nathan finally tells his bickering parents that he divorced his wife, which promptly causes his father to walk out on his mother after 43 years) is more suited to one of those tongue in cheek retro series that they're making on Nick At Nite. The quality of the writing is even worse: unrealistically sitcommy, with telegraphed jokes and obnoxiously broad characterizations. The enormously talented Martindale is stuck playing a shrill, intrusive mother, and as the clueless and accident-prone dad, Bridges gives Homer Simpson a run for the most too-stupid-to-be-alive character currently on TV. The always-appealing Jayma Mays, as Nathan's younger sister Debbie, comes closest to likeable, but she's nowhere near enough to save this mess.
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CBS
Mork is back. Well, actually, it's just Robin Williams, who went off to another planet known as Movieland for about 35 years before deciding to return to the small screen. Now he's in The Crazy Ones, which is about an advertising executive and his daughter, who is also part of the firm. After this prolonged absence, does Williams have the juice to keep a show alive and make it thrive?
Early signs are yes, with over 15 million people watching the premiere. Williams was his usual manic self at the beginning of the episode, spouting off gibberish that made us all wonder if his character had lost it. It turns out, like many of Williams' roles, he was just being crazy like a fox. The gist of it: McDonald's needed a new ad and his firm was in danger of losing the account. So he set up a desperate Hail Mary to land Kelly Clarkson, who was playing herself. Or some version of herself. In what was probably the funniest part of the whole episode, they riffed on how to make a really ribald version of the McDonald's song (It was also nice to see James Wolk be an ad man who was not trying to undermine everyone there - Hi Bob Benson!).
Williams was a pro, mesmerizing in his scenes and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy got older! Boo!) did a great job as a straight man...er...woman to Williams' schtick. He also showed the depth of humanity that he is known for. He's not a cardboard cutout who just wants to make people laugh. The show was well written without teetering too far on either schmaltzy or insane, though Gellar belting out a song in the middle of a crowded restaurant did edge up to being both but the scene didn't fall over the edge.
I'm going to be like the millions of people who likely decided to see what a second episode brings before fully committing to this show, but it was a very promising beginning. I know I'm not crazy for doing so.
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Title

Wrote, created and executive produced the ABC legal drama "The Practice"; fired most of the original cast in the 2003 season to keep the cost down, but added James Spader as a lead character

Created and executive produced the ABC drama series "Snoops"

Scripted the hockey-themed feature "Mystery, Alaska"

Served as writer, co-creator (with Bochco) and executive consultant on "Doogie Howser, M.D."; wrote premiere episode but involvement lessened with each passing season

Created, wrote pilot (and most of first season's episodes) and executive produced the CBS medical drama "Chicago Hope"; dropped executive producer duties after one season, retaining title of 'executive consultant'; returned in spring 1999 to pen the seaso

Co-produced and scripted "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday", adapting it from a play by Michael Brady; wife Michelle Pfeiffer co-starred as Gillian

Wrote, created and executive produced the Fox series "Ally McBeal"; in fall 1999, Fox aired "Ally", a half-hour version of the series culled from previously aired material edited with unaired segments to create stand alone episodes; that half-hour version

Feature screenwriting debut, "From the Hip"

Formed own production company (David E Kelley Productions) and created, wrote and executive produced "Picket Fences" for CBS; relinquished executive producer reins for final season

Created and executive produced the FOX drama "Girl's Club"

On the strength of his then unproduced "From the Hip" screenplay, recruited by executive producer Steven Bochco to work as writer and consultant on NBC's "L.A. Law"; quickly became show's head writer; assumed co-producer status as of the 1987-1988 season,

Raised in the Boston, Massachusetts area

Developed an unscripted series for NBC, a legal drama pitting contestants with law degrees against each other in a race for a partner position at a law firm

Worked for three years in the litigation department of the mid-size Boston law firm Fine & Ambrogne, specializing in real estate and minor criminal cases

Wrote the black comedy-thriller "Lake Placid", starring Bridget Fonda as a paleontologist who teams with an eccentric billionaire to solve a mysterious death

Summary

Arguably one of the most prolific writer-producers in small screen history, former attorney David E. Kelley created some of television's quirkiest and unconventional shows, particularly in the normally staid legal world. Kelley left his self-described boring job as a litigator to join the writing staff of Steven Bochco's hit "L.A. Law" (NBC, 1986-1994), where he eventually worked his way up to executive producer. He went on to co-create "Doogie Howser, M.D." (Fox, 1989-1993) with Bochco before branching out on his own to create the wildly quirky, but ratings-challenged "Picket Fences" (CBS, 1992-96), which, despite critical adulation and two Emmy Awards, struggled to find an audience. Kelley ventured out into medical drama territory with the equally lauded "Chicago Hope" (CBS, 1994-2000), while continuing his duties on "Picket Fences." But since he wrote all the scripts for both shows - much to the frustration of his writing staff - Kelley soon found himself burned out and forced to relieve himself of his responsibilities, which led to a decline in quality of both shows. After struggling to find his footing in the feature world with "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" (1996) and "Lake Placid" (1999), Kelley reached the height of his creative and commercial powers with two divergent legal shows - "The Practice" (ABC, 1997-2004), a gritty, realistic look inside a Boston law firm, and "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002), a wildly fanciful show that featured character fantasies, song numbers and a unisex bathroom. By the time he spun-off "The Practice" into the even more successful "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08), there was no doubt that Kelley was a powerful creative force in television the likes of which had not been seen since Garry Marshall dominated the small screen in the 1970s.

Name

Role

Comments

Claudia Kelley

Daughter

born c. 1993; adopted by wife Michelle Pfeiffer in March of 1993; christened on November 13, 1993, given the name of Kelley

Education

In 1999, Kelley became the first producer to win Emmy Awards in both the Drama Series and Comedy Series categories in the same year.

"If you interview people or friends who work with me, they would say I'm private or internal or don't emote a lot. Yet I do it every day for 10 million people. I just don't do it for the 30 people I'm in the room with . . .

"One thing I know I do now is that when I'm writing anything--if it's not in the front of my mind, then it's in the back of my mind--it's that my children will see it, my grandchildren will see it. If they ever ask me, 'Why did you write that?' I'll have an answer, and it won't be because I thought a lot of people would watch or that it was because I thought the networks would program it. That makes you a more resonsible producer." --David E Kelley quoted in Los Angeles Times Magazine, November 30, 1997.

"The ideal time for writing a script is four days, though sometimes it has to be two or three days depending on the deadline. If it's two days, sometimes there are things I see that don't work as well. If I have two weeks, the scripts get kind of flabby and lack the adrenaline that a sense of deadline fills you with ...

"I never even in college thought writing was something I intended to do. I guess I probably had characters in my head as a kid but never thought I'd put them into prime time," --Kelley quoted in The New York Times, March 2, 1998.

"You know, he's like an idiot savant. I don't know if he could do anything else. It's like, can you understand how someone can drop a box of toothpicks and count how many there are? You can't. You'll never understand that. Well, that's like David Kelley. He's got a bunch of words all over the floor, and before you know it, there's just a script. He's just phenomenal that way. I can't figure it out. It hurts my brain when I try and figure out how he does what he does. I have read a lot of movies-of-the-week, for possible hiatus work, and a lot of them were legal dramas. But it's ridiculous to even consider doing another legal drama when you have David Kelley writing for you every week." --Camryn Manheim (of "The Practice") to Don Aucoin of The Boston Globe, April 11, 1999.

"He trusts himself creatively. He has pure talent, he has craft, and he has clearly found a way to tap into his imagination that doesn't take a lot of time. When you add to that a tremendous work ethic, that's a hell of a package." --Kelley's mentor Steven Bochco to Joel Stein in Time, May 31, 1999.

"David's only weakness as a writer is his unwillingness or his inability to let other writers into the process. He has such a clear idea of what he wants that it's just easier for him to do it than to guide someone else." --Bochco quoted in Los Angeles Times, November 30, 1997.